Method of preparation for these truffle balls:

1. Put all of the ingredients (excluding the ingredient (s) in which the balls will be rolled) in a food processor.

2. Blend for a few minutes until a thick ‘dough’ is formed (but still keeps some fine texture from the nuts). Keep scraping down the sides of the processor to incorporate all the dry ingredients.

3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Scoop into 1 heaped teaspoon-sized portions and roll into smooth balls with your hands. If using, place the coconut (or any topping of your own choice) in a shallow bowl, and roll the moist dough balls in it to fully cover them.

4. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving them.

The recipe

This delicious recipe has been extracted from Dr Michelle Braude’s new book on nutrition, The Food Effect. Click here to find out more about the book and follow her on Instagram at @thefoodeffectdr. We recently made these truffle balls ourselves and were pleasantly surprised by flexible it is! As long as your date base is correct, you can exchange several of the ingredients if you don’t have the original ones at hand. A clean snack if ever we saw one!

Why you should eat more nuts, in moderation

“It is a shame that some people avoid them as they are high in calories, because, if eaten in the right amounts, they are definitely one of the best snacks out there,” says Dr Braude. “They provide essential healthy fats and omega-3s, which are crucial for the brain, improve circulation and prevent inflammation. These will keep hunger at bay for several hours until your next meal. Snacking on nuts may even help you shed pounds and reduce abdominal fat. Researchers have founds that people who ate almonds as a part of a low-calorie diet for six months lost 18% of their body weight, compared to those who did not. Additionally, monounsaturated fats found in nuts have been shown to lower harmful LDL cholesterol in your body. Click here to find out more about the various health benefits of eating nuts.